Doctor Arkham, what’s been the most difficult moment to manage since you took over as director of Arkham Asylum? And what are your thoughts on masked vigilantes?
Batgirl, what a surprise to see you on my page. I did not think I had an audience with the vigilante and law enforcement communities in this fair city.
Regardless, the most difficult thing to manage comes as a surprise to most individuals. It is not the patients, but the money. Acquiring funding to keep the premises pristine is rather difficult – especially when Gotham is shrouded in harmful stigmatization.
As for vigilantes? I see no difference between them and my patients. We should not pick and choose which costumed criminal is illegal merely by their self-proclaimed allegiance. Assault and battery is assault and battery whether you dress like an animal who raided a militia or not.
Anyone who behaves with such poor and violent conduct is ill, and should receive intensive psychiatric care like everyone else.
I won’t argue with you about the funding part. Keeping a place like Arkham running can’t be cheap, and Gotham’s got a bad habit of acting like mental health only matters after something goes wrong. If the place needs more money to actually help people, I can get behind that.
But I can’t agree with what you said about vigilantes. You’re putting me in the same box as people who kill, torture and terrorize innocent people just because we both wear masks. That’s a pretty big leap.
I don’t go out looking for people to punch. I step in when someone’s getting hurt and there isn’t anyone else there to stop it. If the day comes when Gotham doesn’t need me anymore, I’ll gladly hang up the cape.
So let me ask you something, Doctor… do you really think I belong in one of your wards? Do you honestly think I should be receiving intensive psychiatric care alongside the people who spend their nights trying to poison the city or blow it up?
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Question! How does fear toxin work? Like does it show things their scared of like spiders, or traumatic events that happened to them?
Now this is a query I am happy to answer.
I will share some chemical ingredients in my answer however I will not reveal the full list o’ ingredients, out of knowledge it may be recreated. One ingredient however is dimethyltryptamine, which causes the auditory an’ vision hallucinations to occur. Another is dopamine. Anyone studying psychology will know that an overactive dopamine system will trigger delusions, further hallucinations an’ thought disturbances, as well as increased heart rate an’ in most cases, fear. There’re other factors that target the stimulation of the amygdala which is responsible for fear, an’ high emotional responses of the mind.
This working together creates hallucinations an’ fear which will come together t’ create hallucinations OF fear, an’ things the subject fears most. It varies for everyone: arachnophobia, coulrophobia, old trauma for example. What it shows the subject is different for each, it depends on what the subject fears most or what they have feared most recently.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to say something. Yep, the science’s real. The part you’re leaving out’s what you actually do with it.
You don’t study fear to help people get through it. You weaponize it. You take someone’s biggest nightmare, shove it right in their face and call it ‘research’ while they’re terrified out of their mind.
People don’t come out of your attacks feeling enlightened, Crane. They come out with panic attacks, nightmares and trauma that’ll stick with them for years.
So thanks for the chemistry lesson, I guess. Just don’t pretend you’re some misunderstood professor sharing knowledge for the good of humanity. You’re a guy who figured out how to bottle terror and decided innocent people were the perfect test subjects. That’s the part everyone should remember.
Now what I do with it wasn’t the question, however what I do with it varies. For the most part, yes fear toxin is ‘weaponized’, but s’important to consider that fear is a necessity of the human life.
Everyone is born with the innate fear o’ falling an’ loud noises, fear keeps us alive. It’s fascinating to study how we can enhance this, control it, the very essence o’ fear itself. I may weaponize it, but I hold my research over all else. It’s jus’ you bats that get in my way. An’ the occasional rogue.
Fear toxin *could* be used for treatment purposes, makin’ the subject- I mean patient, fear something relevant. Such as fear association. Makin’ an addict fear drugs for example. However, I simply feel my research is too important to release freely to the world. Stay outta my way bat.
Fear isn’t the problem, Crane. Everybody’s scared of something. That’s normal. The problem is you deciding you get to crank that fear up until people can’t tell what’s real anymore. That’s not teaching someone anything. That’s torture.
And don’t act like you’re protecting the world by keeping your research to yourself. If helping people was really your goal, you would’ve been working with doctors years ago instead of gassing random people in Gotham.
You can dress it up with words like ‘research’ all you want, but I’ve seen what your work leaves behind: kids too scared to leave their homes, people waking up screaming weeks later, families falling apart because they can’t escape what you put in their heads…
You keep saying we’re the ones getting in your way. You’re right. Because every time you decide someone’s life is worth less than your next experiment, I’ll be there to stop you.
So if your research can’t exist without innocent people suffering for it, maybe it isn’t as important as you think it is.
I mumble and lock up for a second, staring at the spider like it’s twice my size. My pulse kicks into overdrive, and I instinctively take a few quick steps back before I catch myself.
“Ashley?” *Spider-Man swings into view and lands on the roof top* “Hi have you seen a spider? She’s pregnant and in a very sensitive position right now.” *He looked around before he spotted the spider and picked her up* “ah!”
“She lives with me! Very nice girl yes she is.” *He speaks to it as one would a puppy and the spider moves in his hands for pets.* “sweet girl.” *He pets her*
“Aw the small ones are more harmless than other it’s the big ones that are likely to be hiding in your home. They like warmer temperatures.” *The spider crawled around and up the guys arm*
“Oh uh sorry ha…uh I could tell the spiders to come to me! If you give me a close location to where you are I can take the spider out.” *He seemed a bit awkward*
“But no offense, I’m not giving my address or even my neighborhood to a masked guy in spandex. Doesn’t matter how friendly you seem. So I guess I’ll just keep pretending every little shadow isn’t a spider.”
Question! How does fear toxin work? Like does it show things their scared of like spiders, or traumatic events that happened to them?
Now this is a query I am happy to answer.
I will share some chemical ingredients in my answer however I will not reveal the full list o’ ingredients, out of knowledge it may be recreated. One ingredient however is dimethyltryptamine, which causes the auditory an’ vision hallucinations to occur. Another is dopamine. Anyone studying psychology will know that an overactive dopamine system will trigger delusions, further hallucinations an’ thought disturbances, as well as increased heart rate an’ in most cases, fear. There’re other factors that target the stimulation of the amygdala which is responsible for fear, an’ high emotional responses of the mind.
This working together creates hallucinations an’ fear which will come together t’ create hallucinations OF fear, an’ things the subject fears most. It varies for everyone: arachnophobia, coulrophobia, old trauma for example. What it shows the subject is different for each, it depends on what the subject fears most or what they have feared most recently.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to say something. Yep, the science’s real. The part you’re leaving out’s what you actually do with it.
You don’t study fear to help people get through it. You weaponize it. You take someone’s biggest nightmare, shove it right in their face and call it ‘research’ while they’re terrified out of their mind.
People don’t come out of your attacks feeling enlightened, Crane. They come out with panic attacks, nightmares and trauma that’ll stick with them for years.
So thanks for the chemistry lesson, I guess. Just don’t pretend you’re some misunderstood professor sharing knowledge for the good of humanity. You’re a guy who figured out how to bottle terror and decided innocent people were the perfect test subjects. That’s the part everyone should remember.
I mumble and lock up for a second, staring at the spider like it’s twice my size. My pulse kicks into overdrive, and I instinctively take a few quick steps back before I catch myself.
“Ashley?” *Spider-Man swings into view and lands on the roof top* “Hi have you seen a spider? She’s pregnant and in a very sensitive position right now.” *He looked around before he spotted the spider and picked her up* “ah!”
“She lives with me! Very nice girl yes she is.” *He speaks to it as one would a puppy and the spider moves in his hands for pets.* “sweet girl.” *He pets her*
“Aw the small ones are more harmless than other it’s the big ones that are likely to be hiding in your home. They like warmer temperatures.” *The spider crawled around and up the guys arm*
“Oh uh sorry ha…uh I could tell the spiders to come to me! If you give me a close location to where you are I can take the spider out.” *He seemed a bit awkward*
“But no offense, I’m not giving my address or even my neighborhood to a masked guy in spandex. Doesn’t matter how friendly you seem. So I guess I’ll just keep pretending every little shadow isn’t a spider.”
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I mumble and lock up for a second, staring at the spider like it’s twice my size. My pulse kicks into overdrive, and I instinctively take a few quick steps back before I catch myself.
“Ashley?” *Spider-Man swings into view and lands on the roof top* “Hi have you seen a spider? She’s pregnant and in a very sensitive position right now.” *He looked around before he spotted the spider and picked her up* “ah!”
“She lives with me! Very nice girl yes she is.” *He speaks to it as one would a puppy and the spider moves in his hands for pets.* “sweet girl.” *He pets her*
“Aw the small ones are more harmless than other it’s the big ones that are likely to be hiding in your home. They like warmer temperatures.” *The spider crawled around and up the guys arm*
Open RP: Metropolis Office W-GBS News Reopening Party
Please, before reacting/responding, read the piece in full as there are several different 'rooms' up, such as: the cocktail hall (this post), the dining room (link), the terrace (link) and the silent auction (link).
PS: Canon characters, OCs and crossover characters may interact with the post. No response length is expected, even just side commentary is fine on this post (some may even just watch arrivals on their tv if they're not attending, for exemple). We won't police anyone's interactions, but maybe make sure you're welcome into a conversation if you hop on existing threads between people. Otherwise, feel free to hop from a location to another as you please, even hold several different conversations with the same character, it's all very free!
GBS News had spared no expense for the event. From the very entrance hall that had been decorated with a backdrop in their colours and with their logo where people were photographed or pulled aside for short interviews, to the burgundy carpet guiding guests straight to the cocktail hall.
The hall's decoration had been kept minimalist and functional, clearly a space made for professional needs first. But the whole thing still managed to look welcoming and tasteful, with a stage at the very rear and a bar with an art deco inspiration on the left, tended by several people of different genders but all wearing the exact same outfit. Black pants held by black suspenders, and a white button up with rolled up sleeves and a black tie. Meanwhile, other people dressed the exact same way except that their sleeves were rolled down and they were long black aprons were going around the room with trays to offer different amuse bouches, prepped to clarify on allergens and ingredients to accomodate dietary restrictions.
Eventually, as people started to fill the room, M. Matthew Matheson appeared on the large stage, beginning his very short address to the guests:
“Good evening everyone. As some of you might know, and others might not, my name is M. Matthew Matheson and I am a News Anchor on W-GBS News, as well as Managing Editor of News Nights. I, I have always taken great pride in the work we did, believing, no, knowing, it was important to inform people, to speak about what was important and to shed lights on issues that should not remain obfuscated. This is what journalism is about right? When I got into this position, I got in with the following mindset: People will want the news if you give it to them with integrity. Not everybody, not even a lot of people, maybe 5%. But a 5% that'll make a difference. Because I believed journalist needed to be reclaimed as an honorable profession. Especially on tv. So we worked, we worked on creating a nightly newscast that informs a debate worthy of a great nation. Civility, respect, and a return to what's important; the death of bitchiness; the death of gossip and voyeurism; the will to speak truth to stupid. No target audience, no demographic, just good work. When GBS News started to climb back on top, to re-establish ourselves and become a national powerhouse, I was terrified. We'd gone well beyond the 5%. But I remember a call with a colleague, an old man named Perry White, some of you might have heard of him, he told me I was idiot, and I said sure, but why? And he responded: where does it say that a good news show or good tv channel can't be popular? And I remember being at loss of words, which, you can ask anyone who knows me, doesn't happen often. Today, GBS News is taking another fresh start, and all I have to say is, let's keep being us, let's keep our honour, and our integrity and our will, and let's do good with the might we've acquired. Let's be great, let's be us. For the people who we've lost doing exactly that and for those who've grown to place their trust in us, to do exactly that. To W-GBS news! And to all the people working here, making it what it is! Now I think I've taken enough of your time, so please help yourself to the food, keep any smoking or God forbid vaping to our terrace, and don't forget to participate to the silent auction! All the funds will be donated Metropolis Brown Library! Thank you very much, this was M. Matthew Matheson who clearly can't wait to be back on tv!"
With those final words, the news anchor disappeared backstage and was soon replaced by a modern jazz quartet. Eventually though, Matheson reappeared amongst the crowd of the cocktail party, ready to make his round.
Cocktail Hall (you are here) | Dining Room | Silent Auction Room | Terrace
I step through the entrance, smile for a couple of photos because there’s really no escaping that part and then make my way inside. The place looks nice without trying too hard. Clean, classy, expensive. It definitely feels more like a newsroom throwing a party than a party pretending to be a newsroom.
I take a slow lap around the room. Old habit. I like knowing where everything is before I settle anywhere. Stage in the back. Bar off to the left. Staff weaving through the crowd with trays of tiny snacks that somehow look too pretty to eat. One of them offers me a tray and I grab a small bite after making sure there’s nothing in it that’ll wreck my meal plan. Even at a fancy party, I’m not about to lose a fight to hidden cream cheese.
I glance toward the stage where the jazz band has already started playing. It’s good background music. Loud enough to fill the room, quiet enough that people can still talk without yelling over it. The speech sticks with me too. I spend enough nights chasing people who lie for a living to appreciate hearing someone stand up and talk about telling the truth instead. That’s worth something.
I smooth a glove over my cape, adjust the cowl just a little and keep walking through the room at an easy pace. Every few steps I recognize another face from TV, newspapers or one of Gotham’s charity galas. Different city, same type of people.
Then my eyes land on the silent auction tables. A fundraiser for a library? Yeah… now that gets my attention. I head that way with a grin already creeping onto my face. If somebody expects me to walk past books without stopping, they clearly don’t know me very well.
Peter blinked, spotting Batgirl. EDITH informed him through his glasses that was Barbara Gordon. He really should make sure EDITH stopped scanning everyone with a cowl.
...EDITH didn't even fit anymore. Tony was alive, so why keep the name? Eh.
What was he thinking about? Oh, yeah.
He dropped a 9,000 dollar check in the silent auction. He would honestly have panicked in the past at even having the money. He still felt a bit uncomfortable using it, but Mr. Stark told him not to worry about it. Plus, it was a donation for a library. Libraries were cool.
He fiddled with his clock, where he kept the Iron Spider. Peter probably wouldn't need it, but eh...
Right- he needed to write a note about this. Journalism was way more fun when there isn't so much noise... he should have brought his noise cancelling headphones, but they weren't exactly Gala attire. A dumb, really dumb choice. He probably still had the prototypes in his pack...stupid spider mutations making him so sensitive. He should be able to do this!
"Hey! Batgirl, right? You're really cool, by the way."
...damnit, Peter. You blurted stuff out again. He fiddled with the clock, trying to calm down.
I turn toward the voice and find a young guy who looks like he immediately regrets saying the first thing that popped into his head. I can’t help smiling.
“Thanks… I’ve definitely been called worse.”
I say and notice him fidgeting with the watch on his wrist. Nervous energy. I’ve seen plenty of it before, especially around charity events where half the room is trying to act like they belong.
“No need to be nervous. Trust me, I’m a lot less scary in a room with appetizers than on a rooftop.”
I tell him as my eyes drift toward the silent auction.
“I saw someone just dropped a pretty generous bid over there. If that was you, the library’s gonna be very happy.”
I glance back at him.
“You here covering the reopening or just enjoying the night?”
I offer him my hand and a grin slips onto my half-masked face.
“I’m Batgirl. And since you already know who I am… it’s only fair I get to know your name too.”
I shake his hand, and one thing immediately stands out.
“Strong handshake….”
I raise an eyebrow with a small grin.
“I’ll take that as a sign you’re serious about your introductions.”
I let go and nod toward the silent auction room.
“You’re not the only one. Galas aren’t really my natural habitat either.”
I glance around the room before looking back at him.
“But this one’s for a good cause, so I figured I’d show up. And it’s nice to meet you too, Peter.”
I smile and tilt my head a little.
“So… Peter Parker-Stark. That’s a name people don’t forget. Are you thinking of going into journalism too or are you just here because somebody dragged you along?”
[He chuckled nervously. Fuuck he needed to control his strength better.]
"Uh- yeah."
[Peter blinked.]
"Oh- well. It is, isn't it? I do journalism as a hobby, though I usually go undercover. I hate kidnappings. And- more like I got invited, and I saw what it was about and thought it was worth coming."
“Besides, full names always sound like someone’s about to announce you’ve won an award… or that you’re in trouble. I don’t think either of those applies right now.”
I really hope my mom didn't catch a stomach bug because that would scare me worse than running into the Joker.
I hope not too. I’ll take my chances with the Joker before I volunteer to deal with a stomach bug. At least with him I know what I’m walking into. A stomach virus just shows up out of nowhere and ruins everyone’s week.
Hopefully your mom’s just having an off day and gets to feeling better soon. Make sure she gets some rest and stays hydrated if she’s not feeling well!🤞🏻
I catch my reflection in a dark window and stop dead.
“You gotta be kidding me...”
The whole suit’s backwards. Yellow where it should be black, black where it should be yellow. I let out a long sigh and rub the bridge of my nose under the cowl.
“Fantastic. As if Gotham wasn’t enough of a headache already.”
I glare up at the rooftops.
“Whoever thought this was funny better hope I don’t figure out who they are.”
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I mumble and lock up for a second, staring at the spider like it’s twice my size. My pulse kicks into overdrive, and I instinctively take a few quick steps back before I catch myself.
“Ashley?” *Spider-Man swings into view and lands on the roof top* “Hi have you seen a spider? She’s pregnant and in a very sensitive position right now.” *He looked around before he spotted the spider and picked her up* “ah!”
“She lives with me! Very nice girl yes she is.” *He speaks to it as one would a puppy and the spider moves in his hands for pets.* “sweet girl.” *He pets her*
I mumble and lock up for a second, staring at the spider like it’s twice my size. My pulse kicks into overdrive, and I instinctively take a few quick steps back before I catch myself.
“Ashley?” *Spider-Man swings into view and lands on the roof top* “Hi have you seen a spider? She’s pregnant and in a very sensitive position right now.” *He looked around before he spotted the spider and picked her up* “ah!”
“She lives with me! Very nice girl yes she is.” *He speaks to it as one would a puppy and the spider moves in his hands for pets.* “sweet girl.” *He pets her*
I let out a quiet laugh and cross my arms, giving her an exaggerated once-over.
“I found you because you’ve been suspiciously well-behaved. That worried me.”
I nod toward her duffel bag.
“No hacked comms. No elaborate traps. No calling me buttercup… I was starting to think you’d gotten bored of me.”
I shake my head dramatically and take a slow step closer, stopping well outside arm’s reach.
“Or maybe you finally realized I’m a lot more charming than you expected.”
I grin.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
My eyes flick to the spot she’d been watching before settling back on her.
“So… who’s interesting enough to steal your attention from me?”
I lift a hand before she can brush the question aside.
“And don’t give me the ‘none of your business’ speech. You practically invited me into the conversation the second you started complaining about Cobblepot.”
I pause and tilt my head, studying her, before continuing.
“You know, for someone who insists she’s not interested in me, you spend an awful lot of time testing me, watching me and remembering where I’ll show up.”
I let the teasing sit there for a second and start talking again.
“I’m beginning to think you’re trying very hard to convince yourself of something.”
A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.
“Relax. I’m kidding. If you’re really just minding your own business, I’ll happily leave you to it. But if you’re about to do something reckless… I’d appreciate a heads-up.”
I grin.
“I’d hate to have to rescue you before you’ve had the chance to admit you enjoy running into me.”
>. Was it possible to roll her eyes much harder than she already did?
Probably not.
"Cobblepot is just one of the m a n y assholes you'd be better off spending your time keeping an eye on --But if you insist ..."
If Batgirl was going to keep on pestering her, she might as well make herself useful, right?
Binary straightened herself, mentally cursing herself out for letting her mental guard down just this once -- but if she spent another minute confined in her own doubts, she truly was gonna go mad. So what was the next best distraction, in her opinion? A lady, dressed as a Bat -- with a curiosity too damning for her own good.
"You know GrandTech -- right? Big tech company, focuses on cybersecurity...They launched this new surveillance system a while ago -- Project Panopticon."
She wasn't about to assume if Batgirl knew anything about it -- so the hacker let herself yap on for the time being.
"Problem is, -- It's hot garbage. It's being used to spy on people, to blackmail and hurt innocent people -- and I need to find a way to shut it down. But..."
A gentle clench upon her lip and a deafening silence signaled that the Hacker had already tried, time and time again -- heading nowhere real fast. If she didn't find a loophole, a weak spot to break in -- who knew what would happen when dangerous information fell into the wrong hands?
"They're good. Too good. And I hate to admit that. I got a lead, but --"
Binary checked her phone. Cringing hard at the adress she had been saving for weeks. She had been avoiding it like the plague itself. But no time like the present -- right?
"...--I guess I'm waiting for someone to reel me in when I end up going there. As you put it -- doing something reckless."
And certainly a bad idea to pass up on a Bat helping her out.<
I shake my head, looking at her instead of the phone.
“A few months ago you were trying to overload my senses, and now you’re giving me a briefing. I’m not saying I’m growing on you…”
I smirk and pause just long enough to tease her.
“… but I’m definitely growing on you.”
I let the grin linger before nodding toward the phone in her hand.
“I know GrandTech. And if Panopticon’s really doing what you think it is, then that’s not something I can just walk away from.”
My eyes drift back to hers and I fold my pleather-clad arms.
“But what really gets me is this. You’ve been telling me for ages to stay out of your way. Now you’re practically telling me where you’re going in case I need to come save your stubborn butt. That’s almost sweet.”
I chuckle and take a slow step closer, staying comfortably outside her space.
“So what’s the deal, Binary? You keep insisting you don’t like me, you don’t trust me, you’d never work with someone like me… and yet every time we run into each other, you end up telling me what you’re chasing.”
A playful smile tugs at my lips.
“You’re making it really hard to believe I’m not your favorite Bat.”
I lift both hands innocently.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. You started this whole thing by hijacking my comms. I just kept showing up.”
My expression softens, even if the teasing doesn’t disappear completely.
“Look… if that address is really as bad as you’re making it sound, then don’t walk in there alone. You don’t have to call it teamwork. You can call it me being incredibly annoying and refusing to leave you alone. I can live with that.”
I hold her gaze for a moment.
“And besides… if we keep accidentally ending up in the same place, people are gonna start thinking we’re doing this on purpose.”
You're a bit arachnophobic huh? I used to be too, until a zoology teacher helped me overcome that. If you think about it, humans are like Godzilla to a spider. They rather run away than waste their hunting tools on a giant creature.
Well… I know spiders aren’t out to get me. If anything, they’re probably way more scared of me than I am of them. I’m basically a giant stomping around from their point of view.
But you tell that to my brain when I walk into a spider web on patrol. All logic goes straight out the window 😰
And I’ve gotten a lot better over the years. I don’t freak out the way I used to. I just strongly prefer they keep doing their thing over there and I’ll keep doing mine over here.
After Batgirl stopped a typical Gotham mugging incident, the victim kept glancing towards one of their pockets with a look of concern. With a sign, they explained "I know I should be a little more focused on my immediate area but... I'm more concerned about my brother in Washington state. What with those record breaking wildfires going on. I hope he texts me back soon."
I tuck my grapple away and give them a reassuring look.
“Can’t blame you for worrying.”
I glance around the alley one more time before stepping aside.
“Get somewhere with people around you and keep your phone close. Hopefully your brother’s just busy getting somewhere safe and you’ll hear from him soon.”
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Open RP: Metropolis Office W-GBS News Reopening Party
Please, before reacting/responding, read the piece in full as there are several different 'rooms' up, such as: the cocktail hall (this post), the dining room (link), the terrace (link) and the silent auction (link).
PS: Canon characters, OCs and crossover characters may interact with the post. No response length is expected, even just side commentary is fine on this post (some may even just watch arrivals on their tv if they're not attending, for exemple). We won't police anyone's interactions, but maybe make sure you're welcome into a conversation if you hop on existing threads between people. Otherwise, feel free to hop from a location to another as you please, even hold several different conversations with the same character, it's all very free!
GBS News had spared no expense for the event. From the very entrance hall that had been decorated with a backdrop in their colours and with their logo where people were photographed or pulled aside for short interviews, to the burgundy carpet guiding guests straight to the cocktail hall.
The hall's decoration had been kept minimalist and functional, clearly a space made for professional needs first. But the whole thing still managed to look welcoming and tasteful, with a stage at the very rear and a bar with an art deco inspiration on the left, tended by several people of different genders but all wearing the exact same outfit. Black pants held by black suspenders, and a white button up with rolled up sleeves and a black tie. Meanwhile, other people dressed the exact same way except that their sleeves were rolled down and they were long black aprons were going around the room with trays to offer different amuse bouches, prepped to clarify on allergens and ingredients to accomodate dietary restrictions.
Eventually, as people started to fill the room, M. Matthew Matheson appeared on the large stage, beginning his very short address to the guests:
“Good evening everyone. As some of you might know, and others might not, my name is M. Matthew Matheson and I am a News Anchor on W-GBS News, as well as Managing Editor of News Nights. I, I have always taken great pride in the work we did, believing, no, knowing, it was important to inform people, to speak about what was important and to shed lights on issues that should not remain obfuscated. This is what journalism is about right? When I got into this position, I got in with the following mindset: People will want the news if you give it to them with integrity. Not everybody, not even a lot of people, maybe 5%. But a 5% that'll make a difference. Because I believed journalist needed to be reclaimed as an honorable profession. Especially on tv. So we worked, we worked on creating a nightly newscast that informs a debate worthy of a great nation. Civility, respect, and a return to what's important; the death of bitchiness; the death of gossip and voyeurism; the will to speak truth to stupid. No target audience, no demographic, just good work. When GBS News started to climb back on top, to re-establish ourselves and become a national powerhouse, I was terrified. We'd gone well beyond the 5%. But I remember a call with a colleague, an old man named Perry White, some of you might have heard of him, he told me I was idiot, and I said sure, but why? And he responded: where does it say that a good news show or good tv channel can't be popular? And I remember being at loss of words, which, you can ask anyone who knows me, doesn't happen often. Today, GBS News is taking another fresh start, and all I have to say is, let's keep being us, let's keep our honour, and our integrity and our will, and let's do good with the might we've acquired. Let's be great, let's be us. For the people who we've lost doing exactly that and for those who've grown to place their trust in us, to do exactly that. To W-GBS news! And to all the people working here, making it what it is! Now I think I've taken enough of your time, so please help yourself to the food, keep any smoking or God forbid vaping to our terrace, and don't forget to participate to the silent auction! All the funds will be donated Metropolis Brown Library! Thank you very much, this was M. Matthew Matheson who clearly can't wait to be back on tv!"
With those final words, the news anchor disappeared backstage and was soon replaced by a modern jazz quartet. Eventually though, Matheson reappeared amongst the crowd of the cocktail party, ready to make his round.
Cocktail Hall (you are here) | Dining Room | Silent Auction Room | Terrace
I step through the entrance, smile for a couple of photos because there’s really no escaping that part and then make my way inside. The place looks nice without trying too hard. Clean, classy, expensive. It definitely feels more like a newsroom throwing a party than a party pretending to be a newsroom.
I take a slow lap around the room. Old habit. I like knowing where everything is before I settle anywhere. Stage in the back. Bar off to the left. Staff weaving through the crowd with trays of tiny snacks that somehow look too pretty to eat. One of them offers me a tray and I grab a small bite after making sure there’s nothing in it that’ll wreck my meal plan. Even at a fancy party, I’m not about to lose a fight to hidden cream cheese.
I glance toward the stage where the jazz band has already started playing. It’s good background music. Loud enough to fill the room, quiet enough that people can still talk without yelling over it. The speech sticks with me too. I spend enough nights chasing people who lie for a living to appreciate hearing someone stand up and talk about telling the truth instead. That’s worth something.
I smooth a glove over my cape, adjust the cowl just a little and keep walking through the room at an easy pace. Every few steps I recognize another face from TV, newspapers or one of Gotham’s charity galas. Different city, same type of people.
Then my eyes land on the silent auction tables. A fundraiser for a library? Yeah… now that gets my attention. I head that way with a grin already creeping onto my face. If somebody expects me to walk past books without stopping, they clearly don’t know me very well.
Peter blinked, spotting Batgirl. EDITH informed him through his glasses that was Barbara Gordon. He really should make sure EDITH stopped scanning everyone with a cowl.
...EDITH didn't even fit anymore. Tony was alive, so why keep the name? Eh.
What was he thinking about? Oh, yeah.
He dropped a 9,000 dollar check in the silent auction. He would honestly have panicked in the past at even having the money. He still felt a bit uncomfortable using it, but Mr. Stark told him not to worry about it. Plus, it was a donation for a library. Libraries were cool.
He fiddled with his clock, where he kept the Iron Spider. Peter probably wouldn't need it, but eh...
Right- he needed to write a note about this. Journalism was way more fun when there isn't so much noise... he should have brought his noise cancelling headphones, but they weren't exactly Gala attire. A dumb, really dumb choice. He probably still had the prototypes in his pack...stupid spider mutations making him so sensitive. He should be able to do this!
"Hey! Batgirl, right? You're really cool, by the way."
...damnit, Peter. You blurted stuff out again. He fiddled with the clock, trying to calm down.
I turn toward the voice and find a young guy who looks like he immediately regrets saying the first thing that popped into his head. I can’t help smiling.
“Thanks… I’ve definitely been called worse.”
I say and notice him fidgeting with the watch on his wrist. Nervous energy. I’ve seen plenty of it before, especially around charity events where half the room is trying to act like they belong.
“No need to be nervous. Trust me, I’m a lot less scary in a room with appetizers than on a rooftop.”
I tell him as my eyes drift toward the silent auction.
“I saw someone just dropped a pretty generous bid over there. If that was you, the library’s gonna be very happy.”
I glance back at him.
“You here covering the reopening or just enjoying the night?”
I offer him my hand and a grin slips onto my half-masked face.
“I’m Batgirl. And since you already know who I am… it’s only fair I get to know your name too.”
I shake his hand, and one thing immediately stands out.
“Strong handshake….”
I raise an eyebrow with a small grin.
“I’ll take that as a sign you’re serious about your introductions.”
I let go and nod toward the silent auction room.
“You’re not the only one. Galas aren’t really my natural habitat either.”
I glance around the room before looking back at him.
“But this one’s for a good cause, so I figured I’d show up. And it’s nice to meet you too, Peter.”
I smile and tilt my head a little.
“So… Peter Parker-Stark. That’s a name people don’t forget. Are you thinking of going into journalism too or are you just here because somebody dragged you along?”
[He chuckled nervously. Fuuck he needed to control his strength better.]
"Uh- yeah."
[Peter blinked.]
"Oh- well. It is, isn't it? I do journalism as a hobby, though I usually go undercover. I hate kidnappings. And- more like I got invited, and I saw what it was about and thought it was worth coming."
“Besides, full names always sound like someone’s about to announce you’ve won an award… or that you’re in trouble. I don’t think either of those applies right now.”
